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We are honoured to have been invited to feature on the Business of Beverages podcast with Will Keating! FlavorActiVs Richard Boughton, CEO, and Tom Brown, Head of Global Marketing, were able to travel over to Dublin for the day to meet with Will, where they discussed all things from exploring how tasting has evolved from a “status-driven lottery” to a systematic and scientific process.

Product tasting used to rely on a single “man from Del Monte” to determine the quality of a batch—essentially a status-driven lottery. Today, thanks to advances in sensory science, tasting is a structured, data-driven process that ensures consistency and quality. They discuss how FlavorActiV has been at the forefront of this transformation, helping companies implement standardised, scientific approaches to taste testing.

While the “dream job” of product tasting in industries like brewing or winemaking might seem glamorous, the reality is much different. As Richard and Tom explain, tasting is demanding, solitary, and requires intense focus and skill. Product testers play an essential role in quality control, and their work is much more complex and critical than many realize.

FlavorActiV has revolutionised the tasting process with its systematic approach to taster training, evaluation, and monitoring. By using scientific methods, companies can improve product quality and consistency. This structured approach has reshaped industries, making sensory testing a vital part of quality assurance.

The episode also delves into the future of sensory testing, with discussions on AI and the Electronic Nose, that can enhance and augment human tasting abilities. However, as Tom and Richard point out, wine tasting, amongst some other beverage products, remain a challenging area where applying the scientific method is still difficult due to its inherent subjectivity.

The podcast provides incredible insights into our role in the food and beverage industry and improving product quality with sensory solutions. Whether you’re in quality assurance, product development, or simply interested in the future of sensory testing, it’s a must-listen!

The podcast is available on all listening platform, find us wherever you get your podcasts, or directly on the Business of Beverages webpage. Let us know what you think!

You can listen to the podcast here